boston's Mayor Michelle, who is our guest this morning. Let's go on the record. She's a Mayor in motion, swearing in the city council distributing covid test kits touring the shuttered Long Island treatment center. All in a week. There's lots to talk about. So let's go on the record from WCVB Channel five. The inside word from Washington to Beacon hill. Today's newsmakers are going on the record. Welcome to L Tr on this sunday morning. I'm Ed harding along with the enterprise political reporter Janet wu The surge in covid 19 cases means as you can see that we have returned to our social distancing protocols back here on the set and our guest this morning is joining us via zoom. The mayor is not in studio with us. She's on zoom boston's Mayor Michelle who took the oath of office back in november and to say the least her plate has been full since then, madam Mayor, Thank you so much for joining us. It's great to see you Happy New Year by the way. Happy New Year. Great to be back. Thank you very much for joining us. Um, let's start with omicron. You handed out free covid tests around the city but ran out. You're trying to shorten the testing lines but people are still out there waiting hours. Can you offer any hope that this will change anytime soon. You know, we are still very much in the middle of the pandemic and that means we have to keep closing vaccination gaps and keep putting resources towards testing. We've already opened up new testing sites in the city of boston, New walk in sites just in the last week, we have more on the way, we're working on a high capacity site and this is so that Everyone can stay safe. We also know that what Boston has been doing has been working, we've been identifying more cases of COVID-19, we've been increasing our vaccination rates including the percentage of residents who are boosted so we have to keep at it. This is really the most powerful tool we have to end the pandemic. Um you are delivering vaccines at that at Fenway. Any chance of getting testing added to Fenway? We are exploring having joint side by side vaccination and testing in the places where that has been happening at Tufts Medical Center for example, it's been very successful and then more and more of the city sites, I think we will be moving in that direction as well. Any any idea of how, how soon that could happen like within the next week or two or probably a little longer. We're working hand in hand with the state, the state is actually operating the Fenway site in partnership with the city and so there's some moving pieces but I know that the state is continuing to invest in making testing more accessible as well. So we're doing our part to manage those lines, get people quickly in and out and especially as the weather gets cold, just realize that everybody has a lot on their plates. We need to make this as efficient as possible. And, and one of those things Madam, Mayor obviously is, is going back to school and, and educating our young people. So over 1000 boston teachers and staffers, not just teachers, but staffers and elsewhere clerical work. Everyone that is in the infrastructure for school was unable to show up for work last week. So how do you manage getting students to school and then teaching them? And what is obviously a chaotic time and the chaos may last for at least a couple of weeks ahead. Our classrooms are truly a reflection of what's happening out in the community. And so when the COVID-19 positivity rate is surging this winter, We're seeing that reflected across our staff across the students and the community as well. So we did have a little over 650 teachers out 1000 staff overall. That makes for quite the juggling act and our central district administrators are pitching in teaching in classrooms. But this has really been an hour by hour, sometimes in school by school assessment with the school superintendent. Did that too. We just, we just saw her in the video. She walked into school and walked into a classroom to teach a classroom during this week. So it's all hands on deck. Right? Yeah, exactly. So as a Boston public school mother yourself should remote learning be in the mix. How do you convince the governor that these days should be counted as part of the legally required 180 days of school. We continue to be in conversation with the state and as a mom with two young kids, I know that in person learning is better for our young people. My boys their eyes light up when they get to walk into that classroom, they're happy to be masked up. They're happy to have safety precautions. They just want to see and be there and be with their friends and teachers in person. But when we're at the point when staffing levels mean we are almost unable to keep certain schools open. We do have to then make that choice of whether we call it a snow day and have no programming at all for our students regardless of the weather or we allow for some remote flexibility especially during this winter surge and this these remote days should count as part of the legally required days. I believe during a surge when there are staffing issues that are driving these decisions, it is in the best interest of everyone to make sure that we have flexibility and we can keep everyone safe. So so let's talk about that snow kept kids home on friday. So here's the question, you know, there there is remote learning infrastructure in place, why not have it on a snow day. If you if you can't go to class, why not continue remotely. We do have to have some more preparations if we're going to do full on remote learning for our students? Some school by school administrators have already started dropping off the chrome books and laptops to students. That has happened at some of the schools that that I'm familiar with. But across the district there needs to be again in agreement and partnership with state a deeper conversation about how we can ensure that consistency and quality for our students that I'd like to talk about masks now because the, The teachers unions are are trying to push through a bill to mandate masks in the classroom until June 30, which obviously is the end of the school calendar and they want kids two years and older to be wearing them. Are you on board with that? I am on board with that and that will likely be the policy for the boston public schools as well. Through the end of the year, we know that kids handle their masks very well. The teachers are great and making sure that everybody is, is reminded and and knows how to, to manage lunch times and other playtime's and, and academic times and so this is about making sure we can continue to contain transmission. Much of the COVID-19 cases have come From outside the classroom into the classroom so we want to keep people safe in in the classroom to um, let's go back to vaccinations. You're requiring all city employees to be vaccinated in order to work beginning January 15, which is in another week. What about booster shots? Are you going to mandate those as well so far we are following CDC guidelines which have not yet reflected booster shots in the fully vaccinated definition, but we'll continue to evaluate as they evaluate as well. Um And when do you think that? Do you see that happening though? Sometime within the next school year or so? Within the next five or 6 months or so? Our boston Public Health Commission and many of our local public health officials are in very close contact with the federal decision makers were very close ties with those who are in charge of the C. D. C. So I know that we will stay in close communication with them but we are also working to move forward with our own policies and set floors and build on that so that we can always be sure we are keeping our workforce and our residents safe :ED GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. IT’S SUNDAY, JANUARY 9. BOSTON MAYOR MICHELLE WU IS OUR JUST THIS MORNING, LET’S GO ON THE RECORD. SHE IS A MAYOR IN MOTION. SWEARING IN THE CITY COUNCIL, DISTRIBUTING COVID TEST KITS, TOURING THE SHUTTERED LONG ISLAND TREATMENT CENTER -- ALL IN A WEEK. THERE’S LOTS TO TALK ABOUT, SO LET’S GO ON THE RECORD. >> FROM WCVB CHANNEL 5, THE INSIDE WORD FROM WASHINGTON TO BEACON HILL TODAY’S NEW SMAKERS ARE GOING ON ETH RECORD. ED: WELCOME TO OTR. I' ’M ED HARDING ALONG WITH NEWSCENTER 5 POLITICAL REPORTER THE SURGE IN COVID-19 CASES MEANS WE HAVE PUT OUR SOCIAL DISTANCING PROTOCOLS BACK ON THE SET, AND OUR GUEST THIS MORNING IS JOINING US VIA ZOOM. BOSTON MAYOR MICHELLE WU TOOK THE OATH OF OFFICE BACK IN NOVEMBER, AND TO SAY THE LEAST HER PLATE HAS BEEN FULL SINCE THEN. MADAM MAYOR, THANK YOU SO CHMU FOR JOINING US THIS MORNING. MAYOR :WU HAPPY NEW YEAR. GREAT TO BE BACK. JANET: THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. LET’S START WITH COVID. YOU HAEDND OUT FREE COVID TESTS AROUD THE CTY BUT RAN OUT. YOU’RE TRYING TO SHORTEN TESTING LINES, BUT PEOPLE ARE STILL OUT THERE WAITING HOS.UR CAN YOU OFFEANR Y HOPE THIS WILL CHANGE ANYTIME SOON? MAYOR WU: WE ARE STILL VERY MUCH IN THE MIDDLE OFHE T PANDEMIC, MEANGIN WE HAVE TO KEEP CLOSING VACCINATION GAPS AND PUTTING RESOURCES TOWARDS TESTING. WE HAVE OPENED UP NEW TESTING SITES IN THE CITY OF BOSTON. NEW LKWA INSIGHTS IN JUST THE PAST -- NEW WALK-IN SITES IN THE STPA WEEK, AND WE KNOW WHAT BOSTON HAS BEEN DOING HAS BEEN WORKING. WE HEAV BNEE INCREASING OUR VACCINATION RATES, INCLUDING THE PERCENTAGE OF RESIDENTS WHO ARE BOOSTED, SO WE HAVE TO KEEP AT IT. THIS IS THE MOST POWERFUL TOOL WE HAVE TO END THE PANDEMIC. JANET: YOU WERE DELIVERING VACCINES AT FENWAY. ANY CHANCE OF GETTING TESTING ADDED TO FENWAY? MAYOR WU: WE ARE EXPLORING HAVING JOY SIDE-BY-SIDE VACCINATION AND TESTING. IN PLACES WHEER THAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING, AT TUFTS MEDICAL CENTER, AND THAT OTHER CITY SITES, I THINK WE WILL BE MOVING FORWARD IN THAT DIRECTION AS WE LL. NET:JA HOW SOON WILL THAT HAPPEN? IN THE NEXT WEEK OR TWO, OR A LITTLE BIT LONGER? MAYOR :WU WE WORK HAND-IN-HAND WITH THE STATE, WHO IS OPERATING THE FENWAY SE.IT I KNOW THE STATE IS CONTINUING TO INVEST IN MAKING TESTING MORE ACCESSIBLE AS WELL, SO WE DO OUR PART TO MANAGE THOSE LINES, GET PEOPLE QUICKLY IN AND OUT, AND ESPECIALLY AS THE WEATHER GETS COLD, REALIZE EVERYONE HAS A LOT ON THEIR PLAS.TE WE NEED TO MAKE THIS AS EFFICIENT AS POSSIBLE. :ED A ONDNE THING IS GOING BACK TO SCHOOL AND EDUCATING OUR YOUNG PEOPLE. OVER BOSTON TEACHERS AND 1000 STAFFERS DIDN’T SHOW UP FOR WORK LAST WE.EK SO, HOW DO YOU MANAGE GETTING STUDENTS TO SCHOOL AND TEACHING THEM IN WHAT IS LIKELY TBEO A CHAOTIC TEIM? THE CHAOS MAY LAST FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS AHE?AD MAYOR WU: OUR CLASSROOMS ARE TRULY A REFLECTION OF WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE COMMUNITY. WHEN THE COVID-19 POSITIVITY RATE IS SURGING THIS WINTER, WE ARE SEEING THAT REFLECTED ACROSS OUR STAFF, OUR STUDENTS, AND THE COMMUNITY AS WELL. WE HAD OVER 650 TEACRSHE OUT, 1000 STAFF OVERALL, WHICH MAKES FORUI QTE THE JUGGLING ACT. OUR CENTRAL DISTRICT ADMINISTRATORS ARE PITINGCHN, I BUT THIS HAS BEEN IN HOUR-BY-HOUR AND SCHOOL BY SCHOOL ASSESSMENT BUT THIS HAS BEEN IN HOUR-BY-HOUR AND SCHOOL BY SCHOOL ASSESSMENT. ED: AND WE SAW THE SUPERINTENDENT TEACHING A CLASS THIS WEEK, SO IT IS ALL HANDS ON DECK. JAT:NE AS A BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOL MOTHER YOURSELF, SHOULD LEARNING BE IN THE X?MI HOW DO YOU CONVINCE THE GOVERNOR THAT THESE DAYS SHOULDE COUNTED AS PART OF THE LEGALLY REQUIRED 180 DAYS OF SCHOOL? MAYOR WU: WE CONTINUE TO BE IN CONVERSATION WITH THE STATE. AS A MOM WITH TWO YOUNG KIDS, I KNOW IN PERSON LEARNING IS BETTER FOR OUR YOUNG PEOPLE. MY BOYS, THEIR EYES LIGHT UP WHEN THEY GET TO WALK INTO THAT CLASSROOM. THEY ARE HAPPY TO MASK UP AND HAVE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS, THEY STJU WANT TO BE WITH THEIR FRIENDS AND TEACHERS IN PERSON. BUT WE ARE AT THE POINT WHEN STAFFING LEVELS MEAN WE ARE ALMOST UNABLE TO KEEP CERTAIN SCHOOLS OPEN, WE HAVE TO MAKE THAT CHOICE OF WHETHER WE CLAL IT A SNOW DAY AND HAVE NO PROGRAMMING AT ALL FOR OUR STUDENTS, REGARDLESS OF THE WEATHER, OR WE ALLOW FOR SOME REMOTE FLEXIBILITY, ESPECIALLY DURING THIS WINTER SUR.GE JANET: AND THE REMOTE DAYS SHOULD COUNT AS PART OF THE LEGALLY REQUIRED DAYS? MAYOR WU: I BELVEIE DURING A SEARCH, WHEN WE ARE DRIVING THESE STAFFING DECISIONS, IT IS BEST TO HAVE FLEXIBILYIT AND WE CAN KEEP EVERYONE SAFE. ED: SO, SNOW KEPT YOUR KIDS HOME FONRIDAY. THERE IS REMOTE LEARNING IN FRASTRUCTURE IN PLACE. WHY NOT HAVE IT ON A SNOW DAY IF YOU CAN’T HAVE IT ON A CLASS ?WHY NOT CONTINUE REMOTELY?S MAYOR WU: WE HAVE TO HAVE MORE PREPARATIONS IF WE ARE DOING REMOTE LEARNING FOR OUR STUDENTS. SOME SCHOOL BY SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS HAVE ALREADY STARTED DROPPING OFF THE CHROMEBOOKS AND LAPTOPS TO STUDENTS. THAT HAVE HAPPENED AT SOME SCHOOLS I AM FAMIAILR WITH. BUT THERE NEEDS TO BE IN AGREEMENT ON PARTNERIPSH WITH ETH STATE, A DEEPER PARTNERSHIP ABOUT HOW WE CAN ENSURE ATTH CONSISTENCY AND QUALITY FOR OUR STUDENTS. ED: I WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT MASKS NOW. E TETHACHERS UNIONS ARE TRYING TO PUSH THROUGH A BILL TO MANDATE MASKS IN THE CLAROSSOM UNTIL JUNE 30, THE END OF THE HOOLSC CALENDAR, AND THEY WANT KIDS 2-YEARS-OLD AND OVER WEARING THEM. ARE YOU ON BOARD WITH THAT? MAYOR WU: I AM ON BOARD WITH THAT, AND THAT WILL LILYKE BE POLICY FOR BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS THROUGH THE END OF THE YEAR. KIDS HANDLE THEIR MASKS VERY WELL, TEACHERS ARE GREAT AT MAKING SURE EVERYBODY IS REMINDED AND KNOWS HOW TO MANAGE ALSUM TIMES -- MANAGE LUNCHTIME, PLAYTIME, AND ACADEMIC TIME. IT’S ABOUT MAKING SURE WE CAN CONTINUE TO CONTAIN TRANSMISSION. MANY OF THE COVID-19 CASES HAVE COME FROM OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM, INTO THE CLASSOMRO, SO WE WANT TO KEEP PEOPLE SEAF FROM THE CLASSROOM TWO. JAT:NE LET’S GO BACK TO VACCINATIONS. YOU ARE REQUIRING ALL CITY EMPLOYEES TO BE VACCINATED IN ORDER TO WORK BEGINNING JANUARY . WHAT ABOUT BOOSTER SHOTS? ARE YOU GOINGO TMANDATE THOSE AS WELL? MAYOR WU: WERE A FOLLOWING CDC GUIDELINES, WHICH HAVE NOT REFLECTED BOOSTER SHOTS IN THE FULLY VACCINATED DEFINITION, BUT WE WILL CONTINUE TO REFLECT AS WE EVALUATE AS WELL. JANET: WHEN DO YOU TNKHI -- DO YOU SEE THAT HAPPENING IN THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR OR SO? WITHIN THE NEXT FIVE OR SIX MONTHS OR SO? MAYOR :WU OUR BOSTON PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION AND MANY PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS ARE IN VE CRYLOSE CONCTTA WITH THE FEDERAL DECISION-MAKERS. WE HAVE CLOSE TIES WITH TSEHO WHO ARE IN CHARGE OF THE CDC. WE WILL STAY IN CLOSE COMMUNICATION WITH THEM SO WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH OUR OWN POLICIES AND SET FLOORS